In the pursuit of weight loss, many people turn to the best diet cleansing to detoxify their system and “reset” their bodies. Such “total body cleanses” are intended to help people lose weight by eliminating toxins from the body. As we age, our bodies accumulate harmful substances that can compromise our health and make it harder to lose that stubborn five pounds.
What is a Cleanse?
A cleanse is a strategy used to rid your body of toxins. In our day-to-day lives, we’re exposed to tons of dangerous toxins, from environmental toxins, to toxins in the foods and beverages we consume, to toxins in our home care products. The body is naturally able to detox itself via the liver, and bodily fluids, but a cleanse helps your organs rest, and supports and increases liver function for better detox capabilities.
What Are the Benefits of Doing a Cleanse?
Weight loss isn’t the only benefit of doing a cleanse. Detoxing your body can help with everything from boosting your energy levels to balancing your hormones, to keeping your cravings at bay.
1. Increased Energy
If you tend to feel sluggish throughout the day, a cleanse can help you get your energy back. While you may feel fatigue early on in your detox, you’ll end up with more sustained energy during and after your cleanse.
2. Curbing Cravings and Addictions
Cravings occur due to hormonal imbalances, and when you cleanse, you’re able to balance your hormones. Cravings can lead to binge eating and weight gain, so it’s important to put a stop to them as soon as you can. Cravings can also turn into addictions, with processed foods creating a surge of dopamine, leading some individuals to get addicted. Cleanses can stop this addictive pattern in its tracks!
3. Transforming Your Diet
It’s important that you maintain a healthy diet after you cleanse. Long term sustainable change should be your first priority if you want to lose weight and keep it off. A detox will help you reset the way you eat and the choices you make when it comes to food.
4. Stress Management
A cleanse helps balance your hormones, including your cortisol levels. Cortisol is our main stress hormone and it’s released during times of low and high stress. A detox focuses on blood sugar balancing foods that will help regulate your cortisol levels, making you feel better all around.
5. Giving Your Body Micronutrients
Many people lack micronutrients in their diet, but they are key to good health. Micronutrient deficiency is one of the biggest causes of disease that can link to conditions in the thyroid, respiratory system and immune system overall. A seven day cleanse focuses on whole foods and beverages that are packed with micronutrients. This ensures your body is getting the vitamins, minerals and nutrients it needs to stay at optimal health!
6. Clearing Your Skin
Your diet can have a major impact on your skin, and if you’re prone to breakouts and acne, a cleanse could be just what you need. Since you’re detoxing your body on a cleanse, you’ll clear your skin of toxins.
How Much Weight Will I Lose By Doing a Cleanse?
Every body and every detox diet is different, but on a seven day cleanse, you can expect to lose anywhere from 5 to 20 pounds. Keep in mind that this drastic drop in weight will only be maintained if you continue to lead a healthy lifestyle and eat a healthy diet afterwards.
How Do I Follow a Body Cleanse?
1. Drink Water
First things first, make sure to drink lots of water during your cleanse. Adequate hydration is crucial during your detox, as even mild dehydration can lead to headaches, anxiety and a decrease in cognitive function. Even if you’re on a juice-only cleanse, you still need to drink water to rid your body of toxins.
2. Pee and Sweat
If you’re drinking lots of water, the first one will come naturally, but these two things are important to ridding your body of toxins. Peeing and sweating releases fat from your body, and fat is where most toxins are stored. The more you pee and sweat, the more toxins are released and the better cleanse you can get!
3. Restorative Movement
Hardcore workouts are best to stay away from on your cleanse, but you should still get your body moving with restorative exercises like yoga, pilates, and even walking. To release toxins, you want to get your blood flowing, and these exercises are the best way to do it.
4. Rest
So much of our lives are go, go, go, but it’s important to rest your mind and body, especially during a detox. Take time for yourself to do things that relax you, whether it’s reading a book, taking a bubble bath, or lounging on the couch binging Netflix. Make sure you get plenty of rest and get to bed early as the liver is able to process the most amount of inflammation when you sleep.
5. Only Eat and Drink Whole Foods
If you’re following a specific 7 day cleanse, the detox diet will guide you on exactly what to eat, but make sure to eliminate sugars, wheat, refined foods, alcohol and all that “bad” stuff. This eliminates inflammation and makes it easier for your liver to detox your body.
How Cleanses Work (& Don’t Work)
As for cleanses, Roberts says they’re used to detox the body and usually claim rapid weight loss. “Like I mentioned earlier, the weight that is lost on a cleanse diet is often water and lean muscle mass,” she says. “They are generally set for a limited number of days, as they are very restrictive. They typically expect the user to only consume certain fruits and vegetables or a specified liquid.” They often lead to weight gain afterwards, too. “And the weight gained is often more than what was lost during the cleanse to begin with,” says Roberts. “A cleanse is basically a fancy term to say that one is starving themselves for a short period of time.” She says the danger factor comes into play because cleanse diets can lead to nutrient imbalance and many additional health risks, such as low blood sugar and electrolyte imbalances.
Melissa Landry, registered dietitian and coach seconds this notion. “A `cleanse’ has no scientific definition,” she tells TZR in an email. “`Cleanses’ usually refer to a short-term protocol, typically of very low-calorie juices meant to detoxify the body and/or spur weight loss. They are completely unnecessary because detoxification happens naturally by our lungs and kidneys. And if it’s not happening? We’d wind up in the hospital pretty quickly!” She adds that the history around cleanses and detoxification is “wild.” “They’re linked to gimmicky `snake oil’-like practices,” she says. In other words, selling fake cures to people. “Maintenance Phase podcast did an amazing deep dive on them, too.” If you want to lose weight or go on a cleanse, it makes sense, she says. “Our culture is seemingly obsessed, and the $72 billion, and growing, diet industry, makes sure of it.”
A Caveat When It Comes To Diets Vs. Cleanses
Landry points out a caveat when it comes to diets vs. cleanses. When asked which are safer, she says it’s important to define “safe.” “Many people think of acute, physical problems – like electrolyte imbalances – when they think of `safe.’ If that is how you measure it, diets are safer than cleanses – but that doesn’t mean diets are `safe.’ It simply means that cleanses are more restrictive than diets, and as a result, you will experience negative consequences sooner.” She adds that the body is all about working to restore balance. “The more you restrict and deprive it of its basic needs, including enough energy (spoiler alert: six 120-calorie juices per day aren’t enough for a toddler, never mind a grown woman who works full-time), the more the body will attempt to restore balance, like a pendulum. And the reaction will often be equal, and opposite, to how extreme your cleanse or diet felt.”
Landry says that a common metaphor is, “If I held my breath for a long time, my first breath of air is not likely to be a gentle sip of air. I’d likely take big, panting gasps until my lungs trusted things were balanced again. My lungs will make sure I get enough air. It doesn’t matter if I held my breath by choice or I was held underwater. The body will take over, because that’s its job.” So, too, goes for our bodies, she explains. “It doesn’t matter if you diet by choice or are starving by famine,” she says. “The more intense the restriction, the more the body will act drastically in search of food. It might overconsume, conserving your energy through slowed metabolism, or an obsession-like preoccupation with food. In part, this is why dieting is linked to weight regain, often more than the dieter’s initial baseline weight.” There’s also a mental toll weight cycling takes, and it can have a negative impact on heart health. Dieting increases the likelihood of developing an eating disorder, which is the most deadly mental health diagnosis, Landry says.
Top-Rated Weight Loss Cleanse
Now that we know the basics of a cleanse for weight loss, we’re going to take a look at the six best cleanses you can purchase for the intent of losing weight.
#1. Chef V Cleanses for Weight Loss
Chef V is a woman owned and operated nutritional company that sells a few different cleanse products. You can do a quick 24-hour cleanse if you’ve never gone through this process before and want to try it out before committing to too much. You can even embark on a 21-day detox if you’re more adventurous.
What’s Included?
The duration of cleanse that you choose will determine what’s included in your shipment. However, the general protocol involves green drinks, protein shakes and soups. They all contain specific ingredients that are designed to cleanse your body, increase your energy levels, boost your metabolism and eliminate toxins.
Pros
- Contains hearty products that will help to keep you feeling full longer
- You have the option to purchase products in a bundle so you can do a cleanse with your family, spouse or friends
- Makes your skin and hair look healthier
- Your products are delivered right to your house fresh just in time for you to start your cleanse
Cons
- Liquid based cleanse that eliminates solid meals from your diet for the time being
#2: Sparn Detox Juice Cleanse
The Sparn Detox Juice Cleanse consists of high fiber smoothies and juices of different varieties. You get plenty of nutrients during your cleanse while flushing your body of what it doesn’t need. You can choose between a one-day cleanse for weight loss or go for an entire week to see dramatic results.
What’s Included
A one-week cleanse for weight loss from Sparn includes six juices per day, 42 juices in total. Some of the varieties include Apollo Smoothies, Elias Smoothie, Alena Smoothie, Nike Smoothie and Artemis Coconut Water. Sense a trend? This brand wants you to be the most powerful and healthy version of yourself.
Pros
- These juices are cold pressed, removing their fiber content for high nutrient composition
- Variety is key if you want to find it easy to keep going with your cleanse. This brand provides you with that
- You can use these products to promote weight loss, reset your gut and increase energy levels
- You can select certified organic ingredients
Cons
- Sparn restricts your coffee intake during the duration of your cleanse.
- You are encouraged (but not prohibited) to limit or eliminate your other meals during your cleanse as much as possible.
#3. Splendid Spoon Soup Reset
The Splendid Spoon Reset Cleanse literally helps you to periodically reset your body and gut after many days of eating high calorie, low nutrient foods. Giving your stomach a rest will allow you to feel better and more energetic. You’re restricting your calories while still consuming food that will keep you going for the duration of your cleanse. You can use just one soup for one meal, or you can choose to eat these products for an entire day.
What’s Included?
Splendid Spoon has a one-day cleanse and reset program that consists of five completely different soups. This includes their cauliflower potato chowder, garden minestrone, butternut turmeric, lentil kale and cauliflower tikka soup. You also get green juices and are encouraged to drink plenty of water.
Pros
- This doesn’t feel like a cleanse because you get so many different products to use over the course of the day
- Each soup is a different variety
- Contains 1200 calories over a 24-hour period
Cons
- There are five soups available. You don’t have the option to select from a larger menu
#4. Raw Generation Skinny Cleanse
The Skinny Cleanse from Raw Generation contains a menu of fruit and vegetable juices designed to provide you with ample nutrition while helping you achieve your weight loss goals, boost energy levels and feel healthier overall. You’re encouraged to avoid dairy, grains, and alcohol throughout the process and afterwards to help maintain your results.
What’s Included?
You get to choose from a cleanse that’s two days long all the way up to a ten-day cleanse. You’ll receive juices that include flavors such as Sweet Greens, Citrus Carrot, Sweet Roots, Tarte Greens and Cool Greens.
Pros
- Completely raw and plant based
- Does not contain preservatives
- You have control over your cleanse with this brand. You choose when you drink your products, and you can carry the leftovers over to the end to extend your cleanse.
- You can eat raw fruits and vegetables or nuts if you’re still hungry
Cons
- All of the Raw Generation products are made using a flash freezing process, so you’ll need to thaw your products out before using them.
#5. Owl Reset Cleanse and Detox
The Owl Reset Cleanse and Detox uses the power of ancient Chinese medicine, chronobiology and ayurveda to provide you with powerful and potent broths and shakes that will help boost gut health and maintain efficient digestion. You can choose from a four, six or eight day program.
What’s Included?
Included in your cleanse package will be six to nine broth elixirs (vegan, chicken and beef), six to nine `Mylkshakes’, instructions, group support access and a 15-minute online coaching consultation.
Pros
- Tasty flavor concoctions that will satisfy your hunger for the duration of your cleanse
- Gets you back on track with healthier eating habits
- Contains healing herbs, minerals, collagen, protein and superfoods
- Gluten free and dairy free
- Does not contain and inflammatory ingredients
Cons
- The shakes come in powder form, so you’ll need a blender to make them yourself
#6. Pulp and Press “The Green Cleanse”
The Complete Cleanse from Pulp and Press will help you drop a few pounds while leaving your body feeling refreshed and reset. The organic ingredients in these products have been chosen to detox the body and hydrate you. You get a variety of cold pressed juices with added probiotics and smoothies.
What’s Included?
A three-day cleanse consists of 21 bottles of product. Your regimen actually varies quite a bit and consists of drinks such as the Hulk, Quench, Beta Blaster and Surge. It’s recommended that you drink your juices about two to three hours apart for the best results, consuming plenty of water as you go along.
Pros
- This is one of the biggest selections of flavors I’ve seen from a cleanse
- Added probiotics helps to get your gut in check
- You can purchase wellness shots from Pulp and Press to use for a quick pick-me-up
- You can purchase their products individually if you aren’t interested in doing a full cleanse but want to reap the benefits of these nutritional drinks
Cons
- Probiotics in these products are super beneficial, but you may find that you experience a little more digestive upset at the start of the cleanse if your body isn’t used to this